I would dispute your source just by look at my own state, which has incredibly open gun laws, including free open carry and having had these laws since before anyone here was born, and a massive hunting population, and yet is claimed to be in the top half of strong gun laws. It is ranked significantly above Texas, and yet I know for a fact that my state has way more permissible gun laws than Texas, both historically and currently.

So I already know they are fudging the numbers, presumably because my state usually votes democrat and they want us to look good.

Hell its got Vermont as #17, but it has some of the highest gun ownership rates and most permissive gun laws in the nation.